I believe every candidate running for County Commission should put forward an economic plan to show how he wishes to make Rockdale County economically solvent.

My plan is, appropriately called, the Rockdale County Economic Recovery Program (RCERP). It will address my three greatest areas of concern: reckless spending, raising taxes and security.

There are many people, including the current administration of Chairman Richard Oden and one of my opponents on the other side, who seem to think that raising taxes and reckless spending is just the way local government is to be run. I disagree with that approach and have a voting record to prove it.

The RCERP introduces a simplistic path in which to keep the county economically solvent.

On Spending:
Currently, we have a system in which department heads spend, spend and beg for more. Under my administration, we will have what I appropriately label as a Spending Center. This center will conduct all the spending for departments through a requisition process only. In order to control wasteful spending, which depletes the economic life out of any government, it is imperative that the chairman create a culture of frugality in which every department head is mandated to adhere. It is my goal to totally change some of the archaic ways in which the county operates. This patchwork concept instead of properly fixing the problem is costing the county hundreds of thousands of dollars. We have to leverage our resources in a more judicious manner. We must spend to our priorities based on what is critical, important then last if feasible, least important.

On taxes:
The Oden Administration enjoys raising taxes, expanding government and cutting services to taxpayers. Posted: Nov. 1, 2011 6:52 p.m. by The Rockdale News, "The County is proposing a budget of $55.7 million for 2012, which would reportedly be a 1 percent increase over 2011's budget." Oden's idea of balancing the budget is to just continue raising taxes.

Raising taxes is an option, not a mandate.

I believe in a more simplistic mathematic approach toward taxes. The more you lower them, the more revenue you will acquire. Lower taxes will entice more businesses to relocate to Rockdale County, thus enable businesses to hire more people from our community. Lower taxes will encourage more people to purchase vacant and foreclosed homes that are scattered throughout the county. Lower taxes will allow more services for county residents. Lower taxes will provide county employees with adequate and earned raises. Lower taxes will allow taxpayers to have more of their own money spend.

An Officer Near You:
An officer near you is a program in which the aim is to encourage police officers who live outside of the county to purchase vacant homes in your neighborhood. I will visit with tax commissioner Dan Ray to research the feasibility of allowing a 40 to 50 percent tax deduction for five years towards the purchase of a home in Rockdale County in which they have to occupy. I would find $500,000 in cuts rather than raise anybody's taxes to pay for the new program. I vow to find more cuts to lower all homeowners' taxes. The county would hire no new staff to administer the program. This program personifies the true definition of "community policing."

This is only a part of the plan that I propose. More pieces will be forthcoming in future publications.

Brian L. Jenkins
Candidate for Chairman
of Rockdale Chairman 2012
Post Office Box 83520
Conyers, GA 30013
blj1@comcast.net